Saturday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips - 2.22.25

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

-- Article I, Section 27 Pennsylvania Constitution  [It’s Not A Suggestion]

House Voting Schedule

Budget Hearings February 24, 25, 26, 27, March 3, 4, 5, 6

March 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26

April 7, 8, 9, 22, 23, 24

May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 24

June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

Budget Hearings February 25, 26, 27, March 4, 5, 6

March 24, 25, 26, 31

April 1, 2

May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13

June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events 

February 25--  Senate Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing: 9:30: Department of Environmental Protection.  Click Here to watch live.

February 26-- NEW. House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee meets to consider House Bill 430 (Mako-R-Northampton) prohibiting the construction of wind turbines negatively affecting military installations. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

February 26-- NEW. House Agriculture & Rural Affairs and Health Committees joint informational meeting on spread of bird flu from birds to cattle to people.  Room 515 Irvis Building.  10:30 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.

February 26--  House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing: 1:00- Department of Agriculture.  House Floor.  Click Here to watch online.

February 27-- In-Person, Virtual.  League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility Shale Gas And Public Health Conference, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh.  9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

February 27-- NEW. Agenda Posted. House Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 660 (O’Mara-D- Delaware) setting energy efficiency and water conservation standards for certain commercial and residential appliances. Room 515 Irvis Building. 1:00 p.m.  Click Here to watch online.

February 27-- Senate Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing: 9:30 - Department of Agriculture. Click Here to watch live.

February 27-- House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing: 10:00- Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.  House Floor.  Click Here to watch online.

March 3-- House Appropriations Committee Budget Hearing: 1:00- Public Utility Commission.  House Floor.  Click Here to watch online.

March 4-- House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee hearing on House Bill 109 (Vitali-D-Delaware) establishing a DEP Environmental Just permit Review Program. Lathem Hall, Widener University, 1 University Place, Chester.  10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.   Read more here on legislation.

-- The Derrick: Aqua PA Spells Out Venango Water Co. Expenses Since Its PUC-Ordered Emergency Role [Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill Cost Water Customers $900,000, So Far, In Venango County]  [PaEN] 

-- The Derrick:  Aqua Spells Out Venango Water Co. Expenses Since Its PUC-Ordered Emergency Role  [PDF of Article]

-- The Derrick: GCI Water Fails To Report To Titusville Boro On How Much Oil & Gas Wastewater It Is Treating Thru The Boro’s Wastewater Plant, DEP Reporting May Not Be Accurate  [PDF of Article] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - February 22 [PaEN]

-- Environmental Integrity Project: President Orders Hundreds Of Energy Emergency Reviews Of US Army Corps Of Engineers Project Permits, Including Dozens In PA  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 97 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In February 22 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Invites Comments At March 19 Hearing On Hazardous Sites Cleanup Interim Response At The North Centre Twp. PFAS Investigation Site In Columbia County  [PaEN]  

-- Erie Times: Where Does $1 Million+ Environmental Cleanup At Erie’s Quin-T Property Stand?  

-- PUC Approves $9,000 Penalty Against Columbia Gas For Defective Welding At Gas Regulator Station In Beaver County  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Be Utility Wise 2025: A Powerful Gathering For Utility Consumer Advocacy & Community Support On March 19 In Philadelphia

-- WTAE: Ex-Manager At Ambridge Water Authority Sentenced For $1 Million Fraud, To Spend Over 2 Years In Jail

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Water Quality In Chesapeake’s Small Watersheds Get A Closer Look  

-- Delaware River Basin Commission Releases 2025 Annual Report On The State Of The Delaware River Watershed  [PaEN] 

-- Inquirer: Fred de Long, Longtime Director Of Community Farm Program For Willistown Conservation Trust, Has Died At 55

-- Warren Times: US Forest Service Layoffs May Affect Allegheny National Forest; Wildfire Prevention Staff Eliminated

-- Feb. 21 Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation  [PaEN]

-- Republican Herald: Appalachian Trail Conservancy Turns 100 In March

-- Republican Herald: Lifesaving ATV Children’s Safety Courses Hard To Find In Northeast PA 

-- TribLive: National Aviary In Pittsburgh To Take Over Shady Side Academy Middle School 

-- LancasterOnline: Game Commission Investigating Snow Geese Killing In West Hempfield Twp.

-- Warren Times: Bird Feeders And The Joy Of Casual Birding

Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Restart

-- Utility Dive: FERC Launches Colocation Review Of A.I./Data Centers, Plus 6 Other Open Meeting Takeaways 

-- Reuters: New US Energy Council Chief Calls On Power Plants To Produce 10% to 15% More Electricity To Meet A.I., Data Center Demands

6th Oil/Natural Gas Spike: True Energy Independence Means Renewables

[There Is No Limit To What Oil/Natural Gas Industry Can Make You Pay]

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.15  Ohio- $2.92  PA- $$3.35

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs At 15, Same For 10 Weeks

-- Reuters: New US Energy Council Chief Calls On Power Plants To Produce 10% to 15% More Electricity To Meet A.I., Data Center Demands

New Federal Administration

-- Warren Times: US Forest Service Layoffs May Affect Allegheny National Forest; Wildfire Prevention Staff Eliminated

-- MCall Guest Essay: President’s Policies Spell Disaster For The Environment - By Kimberly Heiman, Muhlenberg College

-- The Center Square: 95% Of PEMA, PA Crisis Management Agency Budgets Comes From Federal Funds Now At Risk

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Spotlight PA: Republicans Have A Chance To Transform The PA Supreme Court This Year

-- Beaver Times: PA Lawmakers Resume Push To Allow 1.3 Million Independents To Vote In Primaries

-- WITF: How President’s Cuts To Security Agencies Would Affect Election Security In PA

-- AP: 3 Politicians Accused Of Faking Mail-In Ballots In 2021 Mayoral Race In Delaware County

-- The Center Square: 95% Of PEMA, PA Crisis Management Agency Budgets Comes From Federal Funds Now At Risk

-- WITF: President’s Cuts At National Institutes Of Health Mean Problems For Central PA Public Health Research

-- WESA: University Of Pittsburgh Pauses PhD Admissions Process Amid Federal Research Funding Uncertainty

-- WNEP: Republican Rep. Ryncavage’s District office Targeted By Molotov Cocktail

-- Spotlight PA: Republican Rep. Diamond Pushing His Song To Be State Song

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[Posted: February 22, 2025]  PA Environment Digest